Apparatus for electrically controlling air-brakes.



E. L. ORGUTT, DEGD.. P. AV MADDOX nf-E. N. HUTGHINS, BXEGUTORS.

APPARATUS FOR ELEGTRIGALLY OONTROLLING AIR BRAKES.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

APPLICATION FILED MAR.15, 1913.

dumm

UNITED sTATEs PATENT oEEIoE. I

EDWARD L. ORCUTT, F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS; FRED A. MADDOX, OF MED- FOBD. MASSACHUSETTS, AND ELMER N. HUTCHINS, 0F SOMERVILLE, MASSACHU- SETTS, EXECUTORS'OF ORCUTT, DECEASED.

' APPARATUS FOR ELECTRIGALLY CONTROLLING AIR-BRAKES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Oct. 20, 1914.

Application filed March 15, 1913. Serial No. 754,440.

To'all 'whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD L. ORoU'l'r, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Somerville, in the county of Middlesexv and State of Massachusets, have invented a new and useful Improvement in Apparatus prevented from releasin the air brakes until the train or other ve icle provided 'with said brakes has been brought to a full stop, or else the speed thereof reduced to a predetermined rate,

The drawin which accompanies and forms a part o this specification illustrates one form of apparatus and circuit arrangementswhereby my invention may be carried into effect; but it will be understood that both the apparatus. and circuit arrangements may be subjected to a wide range of variation without departing from the prin'- ciple of my invention.

In the drawing the gurerepresents -diagremmatically one embodiment of my improved locking device shown in connection with an apparatus for electrically controlllg air brakes, which Ihave described and claimedin my application Serial No. 507 ,278, filed July 12, 1909.

The casing of the blanking valve 17 is to be "attached to the train-line pipe (not shown) by the nuts 9.v The casing is provided with a chamber 12 having a bushing 13 and carrying a movable abutment shown in the present instance as a piston 14 attached to the rod 16 which is guided by the cap 20. The movement of the 'piston rod is communicated to the blanking-valve 17, which slides upon the seat 18, by the shoulders 22, and the spring 19 holds said valve u on its seat. The retaining valves 26, 2 I, which are suitably constructed to control the pressure in the train-line pipe, are connected t0 the pipe 24 which communicates with the chamber 23 when the valve is in its blanking position and the valve 28 is located to cut out the retaining valve 26.

The pi'pe 34, connected between the main reservoir (not shown) and the passages 31 in the, casing 10, valve seat 35 and cap 38, conveys the compressed air from .the main reservoir tothe chamber 39 in said cap. The rotary valve 43 is provided with ports, one of which is shown at 52. The port 52 communicates with the chamber 56 uponv the lface 'of the valve, which in the running position of the valve, overlies the ports 49 and 50 in the valve seat. The valve seat 35 is provided with theport 51 with which, by means of the valve-port 55, the chamber 39 of the cap communicates when the valve is in cut-ofi' position, thereby permitting the main reservoir pressure to pass to the chamher 12. The valve-operatlng handle 40- is attached to the valve by the stem 42 and nut 41, said stem vterminating as shown in a tenon which coperates with a key-way formed in the upper part of the valve. Thev valve is centered by the pin 46 in the recess 45 of the valve seat.

The casing 57 of the electrically-operated valve 58 is attached to the casing 10 through the v insulating bushing v156. -The electrically-operated valve 58 normally closes communication between the passage 49 andthe whistle 66 and is secured 'to the piston rod 59, to which the armature 64 of the electromagnet 60 is attached. The electromagnet 60 is energized by the battery 68 and the circuit of said magnet and battery contains a suitable circuit controller such as the key 70.

When the circuit of the battery 68 and magnet 60 is opened, the armature'64 falls to the bottom of the casing 63, its travel being limited by the adjustable stop 62, thereby uncovering the seat of the valve 58, so

that the pressure above the piston 14 is re lieved by wayof the port 50, chamber 56, passage 49 and whistle 66 and the pressure from the train-line. pipe causes said piston to rise. The movement of the piston brings the port 18 into communication with the pipe 2,4 through the chamber 23 thereby allowing the train-line pipe to discharge and set the brakes, and the whistle 66 will continue to blow until the valve 58 is closed.

The brakes may be released by throwing the handle 40 to cut-o position, whereupon, as above stated, the full pressure of the main reservoir will pass to the chamber 12 byway of the pipe 34, passages 31, chamber 39, and ports 55 and 51, thereby driving the piston 14 and blanking valve 17 down to r'eleasing position, so that the engineers brake-valve (not shown) can recharge the train-line pipe to its full releasing pressure.

The brake-releasing mechanism above described can be operated independently of the speed of the train or other vehicle carrying the same, and in order to prevent the engineer from releasing the brakes by throwing the handle 40 to. cut-ofi' position until the train has been stopped or rits speed reduced The pin is carried by the armature 89 of the' magnet 86 and is held in retracted position out of the hole 93 by the spring 94 when said magnet is denergized. By the closure of the circuit of the battery 84: connected with said magnet by wires 85, 87, as for eX- ample by bringing the circuit-controller 82 against the contact 88, the magnet will be be released until energized, and thev resulting attraction of its armature 89 will drive the pin through the hole 93 and thereby lock the handle in running position, so that the brakescannot the circuit of the battery is opened.

The speed-controlled device for actuating the circuit-controller 82 may consist of anysuitable centrifugally-operated mechanism, such as the governor, 81, attached to the sleeve 81 which supports but is not secured to the-lever 82. The governor may be connected to any rotating part of the train, such as the shaft 80, which is shown for purposes of illustration as connected by the beveled gears 76, 79 with the axle 7 8.

It will ,now be obvious that when the key 70 is opened, either automatically or manually as the case may be, thelbrakes will be set, andif the trainl is traveling at so low a speed that the circuit of magnet 86 is open, the handle 40 may be thrown to cut-oil` posiv tion and the brakes released; but if the speed be such that the governor' y81 forces the sleeve 81 against the lever 82 and throws the latter against the contact 88, thereby closing the circuit of the magnet 86, the handlewill be locked in running position and render the release of the brakes impossible until. asafe speed has been reached. I

ma y also employ the latching device 103 for holding the circuit-controller 82 in circuitclosmg position, in which case the handle will remain locked untilv the lever 82 is unsubscribed latched. In the present instance, the magnet 100, which is in circuit with the battery 101 and two contacts closable by the spring 102 carried by the sleeve 81', automatically unlatches the lever 82 when the speed is r educed to a predetermined rate or the tram brought to a full stop, the relative position of the contacts and lspring being adjustable, so that the magnet 100 will not be energized until the train has been stopped or such predetermined speed reached. f

I claim:

1. The combination in an air-brake sys.v tem, of means for' setting the brakes, means for .releasing the brakes, a speed-controlled device for locking said brake-releasing means in non-releasing position and means or maintaining said device in lockingposition.

2. The combination in an air-brake system, of means -for setting the brakes, means for releasing the brakes, a speed-controlled device for locking said brake-releasing means in non-releasing position, means for maintaining said device Ain locking position, and means for releasing said device from its locking position. A

3. The combinationin an air-brake system, of means for setting the brakes, means `for releasing the brakes, a speed-controlled device. for locking saidl brake-releasing means in non-releasing position, means formaintaining said device in locking position, and speed-controlled means for releasing said device from its locking position.l

el.. The combination in an air-brake system, of `means for setting the brakes, means for releasing the brakes, a device for locking the brake-releasing means in non-releasing position, an electromagnet for controlling said device, a speed-controlled switch for the circuit of said electromagnet, means for holding said switch in circuit-closing position, and speed-controlled means for releasing said switch.

The combination in an air-brake system of a rotary valve, a locking device arranged to lock said valve in brake-setting position, and speed-controlled imeans for controlling said device.

6. The combination in an air-brake system of a casing, a'rotary valve arranged in said casing', a handle secured to said valve, a pin cooperating with said valve and casing, means for actuating said pin, and a vspeedcontrolled device for controlling said means.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto my name this 13th day of March EDWARD L. oRcUTT.

Witnesses:

E. B. ToMLINsoN, Guo. K. WooDwoRTH.

copies of this` patent may be obtained for ve cents each, by addressingvthe Commissioner of Entente,

Washington, ZD. C. 

